20,000 Greek civil servants put on standby
ATHENS - Anatolia News Agency
Workers rally during a protest against budget cuts in Athens yesterday. AP Photo
An order to “standby” has been given to 20,000 Greek civil servants Nov. 28 within the scope of the country’s austerity plan backed by the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Greek government had announced earlier it would place 180,000 out of 300,000 jobs on hold, calling it a “standby,” a new term in labor relations.
Initially, 14,000 of these civil servants will be laid off. The remaining will be reassigned to different places and will retain 60 percent of their wages for a period of 12 months, according to earlier government statements.
These measures are designed to cut public sector expenditures by 6.3 billion euros.
The Greek Civil Servants Confederation (ADEDY) called Nov. 28, the day the measure was implemented, a “cursed day.”
